Body repair tool



Nov. 18, 1941.

BODY REPAIR TOOL Filed May 9, 1940 T. RAISANEN 2,263,247

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,263,241 BODY REPAIRTOOL Toivo Raisanen, Grand Rapids, Mich Application May 9, 1940, SerialNo. 334,215

5 Claims. (01. 153-32)" This invention relates to a novel constructionof tool to be used in the repair of automobile bodies.

As a result of heavy motor vehicle trafic and the accidents that occurtherefrom, the bodies and fenders of automobiles many times are indentedand crushed, and the repair of the bodies, particularly the sheet metalparts thereof has become a rather large business. The inward indentationand crushing of the sheet metal is common and'the outward return of suchsheet metal to its original position is many times difficult to do,particularly as a great many parts of the body thus injured are hard ofaccess."

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to provide a toolwhich is a form of pressing headand which may be detachably connectedwith a hydraulic or other fluid pressure apparatus and which, placedagainst the inwardly indented sheet metal, may be operated to force themetal outward to its initial position. More specifically, the tool whichI have devised is of a special form and construction so that the partswhich immediately engage the sheet metal to be worked may be entered atplaces heretofore hard of access. And further with the construction ofpressing tool which I have devised, it may be worked over a relativelylarge area of the sheet metal without moving the abutment against whichthe fluid pressure apparatus is placed at one end, so that with oneposition against a selected abutment'and with f the tool which I havedevised used with the hydraulic apparatus a much greater area of themetal may be worked back to position than heretofore.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, inwhich,

Fig. l is an elevation showing the tool in use with the hydraulicapparatus for pressing outwardly inwardly indentedsheet metal parts ofthe top of an automobile body.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary similar view somewhat enlarged showing the useof the tool at one place which is hard to be reached.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the tool illustrating its manner ofdetachable connection to the rod or ram of the hydraulic apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a plan View looking downwardly upon the tool shown in Fig. 3,and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section showing the pivotal connection of theimmediate metal en- Like reference characters refer to like part a inthe diiferent figures of the drawing. The tool which I have devisedincludes a shank I made of relatively heavy steel bar stock which at oneend is enlarged and screw threaded as at:

2. The shank, a distance from the screw threaded portion 2-, is curvedat an angle to the axisof.

the shank l, which angle in the "specific disclosure made approximates120, therebylproviding an integral laterally turned section 3. which atits free end has its under portion cut away and is formed into an earhaving a periph-: ery in the arc of a circle as shown best in Fig. 4.Shoulders 5, one at each end of the curved pe riphery of the ear 4, aremade adjacent the end of the section 3, also best shown in Fig. 4.

An elongated head 6 is provided .with an ear 1 to pass underneath theear 4, a pivotscrew 8 passing through the ears to pivotally connect theend of the shank of the head. The upper side of the head 6 is recessedto receive the ear 4 and the head 6 carries shoulders 9 which may comeagainst the shoulder 5 when the head 6 is turned a predetermineddistance in either direction. At the upper side-of said head 6 the metalis serrated as at ll], preferably inclining in the direction toward thesupporting shank while at the free longitudinal edge of said head 6 itis provided with teeth or serrations ll. As

shown, those to one side of the pivot 8 are inclined in a directionopposite to those at the other side, both series of teeth H incliningtoward the median line between the ends of the head. As a variation inconstruction instead of the. teeth in one side all inclining in one wayand those at the other side inclining oppositely, alternate teeth at thefree edge of the head may be inclined in opposite directions.

This tool is adapted to be detachably connected by screwing the part 2into an internally threaded socket l2 on the end of a ram l3 whichenters a cylinder l4 and has a piston at its inner end (not shown)within said cylinder which may be forced outwardly through a fluidpressure conducted into the cylinder through a pipe or hose l5controlled by a manually operated valve l6. At the opposite end of thecylinder a rod I1 is connected.

One use of my invention is shown in Fig. 1. The body H3 at an uppercorner thereof has been crushed or indented inwardly as at l9. This is aquite common type of injury to automobile bodies. The lower end of therod II, which in practice is divided or bifurcated, is placed againstgaging head of the tool with the shank thereof. 55 an abutment providedby the head or nut 20 of one of the bolts which secures the body to thechassis frame. The ram I3 is operated to move it outwardly until thehead 6 engages against the indented metal at IS. The serrations H]provide a biting engagement suficient to preclude slipping of the metalof the head against that of the body. Then by moving the ram I3outwardly by the entrance of more of the hydraulic pressure fluid intothe cylinder 14, the inwardly pressed or indented metal at H! is forcedoutwardly. The whole apparatus may be swung in a clockwise orcounter-clockwise direction about the abutment at 20 as a center, andlikewise, may be swung laterally so that with the one positioning of therod l1 against its abutment, a relatively large area of the inwardlycrushed or indented portion of the body may be treated. This lateralmovement of the head 6 is permitted because of its pivotal connection inthe manner described to the shank of the tool. As it is swung laterallythe head turns about the pivot at 8 and the length of the head may bekept parallel to the length of the body over the range which the headmay take in swinging from a position in which one of the shoulders 9engages a shoulder to another position where the opposite shoulders 9engage the other shoulder 5.

In Fig. 2 is shown how, by reason of the curved form of the shank onwhich the head is mounted, that said head may be carried over into atrough such as indicated at 2| at the side of the body immediately abovethe door; and the serrated free edge of the head 6 brought against themetal which would otherwise be hard to reach and the indented metalironed out to original position.

Of course it is to be understood that there are a great many otherplaces where the tool may be used to reach portions of the body whichare hard to be reached. The tool connected to the hydraulic fluidpressure ram may be disposed in many positions within the body and therod I! brought against many different lower parts of the body to serveas abutments therefor. For example, when a top is crushed in at itsupper side the fluid pressure apparatus with the tool connected may bepositioned vertically and the crushed in portion of the body forcedupwardly.

This accessory tool has been used very successfully in commercial repairof automobile bodies and has been manufactured and sold to othersengaged in such business. It is of course to be understood that theshank of the tool is of a strong and rigid steel construction and thatthe head is also of steel preferably hardened to withstand wear. Theshank also may be heat treated to increase its strength.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A tool of the class described comprising, a shank bent between itsends to provide an extension located at an angle to the length of themajor portion of said shank, and a head pivotally mounted at the freeend of said extension to turn about an axis located at right angles tothe longitudinal axis of said extension, said head being elongated inadirection transverse of and lying partly to each side of said pivotalaxis, and having converging upper and lower sides toward the free edgethereof as specified.

2. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 1, the upper side of said head adjacent its free edge beingprovided with a plurality of upwardly extending serrations.

3. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 1, said head at its free longitudinal edge having a plurality ofspaced serrations, all of said serrations being inclined to the saidedge of the head, part of said serrations being inclined in a directionopposite to the remainder thereof.

4. A body pressing tool comprising, an elongated shank bent between itsends to provide an extension located at an angle of approximately to thelength of the major portion of the shank, said extension terminating inan ear having a periphery in the arc of a circle, an elongated head withthe length thereof disposed transversely of the axis of said extension,said head at its rear portion having a recess to receive said ear on theshank, a pivot pin extending through said ear and said head whereby thehead may be turned to a plurality of angles with respect to the shank,the free edge of said head being located substantially in a single planeand being of less thickness than the remainder thereof.

5. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 4, said shank at opposite sides of the ear thereon and said headat opposite sides of the recess therein having cooperating shoulderspermitting swinging pivotal movement of the head to and betweenpredetermined extreme positions of movement with respect to said shank.

TOIVO RAISANEN.

